Deaths of rat-eater tribals can be stopped !!

A recent TOI reprt says that some tribals and Mahadalits who traditionally survive on rats and snails are dying of starvation.

Long back BBC produced a documentary on this subject and then there were many.

What should be the focus of such reports in TOI now? ‘A human should never have to eat rats and snail to survive’ one reader said. This statement is a loaded comment. But that was essentially the focus of the report! This is an excellent case of fallacy. This food is not very different from eating chicken and prawns.

The real Issue is that they have no other choice and this is because our so called progress has not given them an opportunity to increase the range of food choices; which comes with prosperity and not with alms, donations. ngos and socialist or welfare programmes. This will be the issue in any welfare state. This happens unfortunately in families and societies cut away from the mainstream and neither the state can reach them nor they can reach and have access to state welfare programmes. We need to focus on a.why this happens and b.how can this be avoided.

‘This can be avoided’, said Sudhir Bindu, a Shetkari Sanghatana worker from Sonpeth, Parbhani. ‘Investment, technology and market forces, if allowed to reach these people in rural areas, these problems can be solved’, he said. ‘For that, we will need to build a powerful political-social, broad-based movement with a clear liberal thinking and effective action. And for that liberation of market forces and economy, one or two decades of pursuit will be necessary.’ I said.

Thank God and the Govt. There is no Mooshak-vadh-bandi. Wait till this happens!! Logical with association of Shankara-Nandi and Ganesha-Mooshaka). Till then some tribals will be able to eat rats and survive.